355
ABNT30 KNHC 010356
TWSAT
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1100 PM EST FRI NOV 30 2001
SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY FOR THE 2001 HURRICANE
SEASON...
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
THE 2001 HURRICANE SEASON WAS AN ACTIVE ONE. THERE WERE 15 NAMED
STORMS OF WHICH 9 BECAME HURRICANES. FOUR OF THESE BECAME MAJOR
HURRICANES...CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE
SCALE. THE LONG-TERM AVERAGES ARE 10 TROPICAL STORMS...6 HURRICANES
...AND 2 MAJOR HURRICANES. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY OCCURRED DURING
THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF THE SEASON DURING WHICH 11 OF THE NAMED
STORMS...AND ALL OF THE MAJOR HURRICANES...FORMED. THERE WERE 3
HURRICANES DURING NOVEMBER WHICH WAS THE FIRST SUCH OCCURRENCE ON
RECORD. TWO MAJOR HURRICANES...IRIS AND MICHELLE... STRUCK LAND
AREAS AROUND THE CARIBBEAN CAUSING 48 DEATHS. MICHELLE ALSO CAUSED
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE BAHAMAS. FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
THERE WERE NO U.S. HURRICANE LANDFALLS...ALTHOUGH 2 OF THE
3 TROPICAL STORMS THAT HIT THE U.S. WERE ALMOST HURRICANES...
AND THE THIRD...ALLISON...CAUSED ENORMOUS FLOODING RESULTING IN 41
DEATHS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. THERE WERE ALSO 2
TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS THAT DID NOT BECOME TROPICAL STORMS.
INDIVIDUAL STORM SUMMARIES...
ALLISON DEVELOPED FROM A DISTURBANCE THAT MOVED FROM THE EASTERN
PACIFIC INTO THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. ON 4 JUNE THUNDERSTORMS
INCREASED OVER THE WESTERN GULF...AND ON THE MORNING OF THE 5TH THE
SYSTEM QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL STORM. ALLISON
STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 60 MPH ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE
5TH BEFORE MOVING INLAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS WITH 50 MPH WINDS A
FEW HOURS LATER.
AFTER MOVING INLAND...ALLISON RAPIDLY WEAKENED BEFORE STALLING OVER
EASTERN TEXAS ON THE 7TH. THE REMNANT CIRCULATION DRIFTED
SOUTHWARD...AND EMERGED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON THE
9TH...WHERE THE SYSTEM REORGANIZED AS A SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE BEFORE
MOVING INLAND AGAIN OVER LOUISIANA EARLY ON THE 11TH. THE
SUBTROPICAL LOW TRACKED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD BEFORE STALLING OVER
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ON THE 14TH. THE LOW WAS NEARLY STATIONARY
FOR ALMOST THREE DAYS BEFORE FINALLY MOVING NORTHEASTWARD OFF THE
MID-ATLANTIC COAST ON THE 17TH. THE SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE MERGED WITH
A COLD FRONT ON THE 17TH AND DISSIPATED ON THE 19TH SOUTHEAST OF
NOVA SCOTIA.
ALLISON PRODUCED EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM EASTERN TEXAS ACROSS
THE GULF STATES AND ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST...RESULTING IN THE
MOST EXTENSIVE FLOODING EVER ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL STORM.
DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE $5.0 BILLION OR MORE...AND THERE WERE 41
DIRECT DEATHS. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE AND FATALITIES OCCURRED IN THE
HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA...WHERE MORE THAN 30 INCHES OF RAIN WERE
REPORTED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE PRELIMINARY DEATH TOLL BY STATES
IS AS FOLLOWS: TEXAS 23, FLORIDA 8, PENNSYLVANIA 7, LOUISIANA 1,
MISSISSIPPI 1, AND VIRGINIA 1.
SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWO FORMED IN THE CENTRAL TROPICAL
ATLANTIC ABOUT 1250 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 11 JULY.
THE DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
ENCOUNTERED HOSTILE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...WHICH CAUSED THE
DEPRESSION TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL WAVE ON THE 12TH...ABOUT 700
MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS.
BARRY FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO
ON 2 AUGUST. INITIALLY MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...THE STORM SLOWED
TO AN ERRATIC DRIFT ON THE 3RD THAT CONTINUED INTO THE 4TH.
UNFAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL WINDS CAUSED BARRY TO WEAKEN TO A DEPRESSION
EARLY ON THE 4TH...WITH THE CYCLONE REGAINING TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH LATER THAT DAY. BARRY MOVED NORTH AND INTENSIFIED ON THE
5TH...MAKING LANDFALL AT JUST UNDER HURRICANE STRENGTH IN THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE BETWEEN PANAMA CITY AND DESTIN EARLY ON THE 6TH.
THE CYCLONE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION OVER
SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA...THEN WEAKENED FURTHER TO A LOW OVER NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI. THE REMNANTS OF BARRY WERE LAST SEEN OVER SOUTHEASTERN
MISSOURI ON THE 8TH. WINDS AND RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH BARRY CAUSED
MINOR DAMAGE IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.
CHANTAL ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...FIRST BECOMING A
DEPRESSION ON 14 AUGUST ABOUT 1500 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHERN
WINDWARD ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WESTWARD SO RAPIDLY THAT IT
DEGENERATED INTO AN OPEN WAVE ON THE 16TH. IT MOVED THROUGH THE
LESSER ANTILLES AS A WAVE BUT DID PRODUCE WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM
FORCE AT MARTINIQUE. THE WAVE SLOWED DOWN IN THE EASTERN
CARIBBEAN...AND WHEN A CIRCULATION REDEVELOPED ON THE 17TH THE
SYSTEM BECAME A TROPICAL STORM. CHANTAL MOVED WESTWARD THROUGH THE
CARIBBEAN...BRIEFLY REACHING AN INTENSITY OF 70 MPH ON THE 19TH
WHEN IT WAS SOUTH OF JAMAICA. CHANTAL WEAKENED LATE ON THE 19TH...
BUT BEGAN TO STRENGTHEN AGAIN AS IT APPROACHED BELIZE AND THE
YUCATAN PENINSULA. CHANTAL MADE LANDFALL NEAR THE BELIZE-MEXICO
BORDER LATE ON THE 20TH WITH WINDS OF 70 MPH. CHANTAL WEAKENED TO
A DEPRESSION AND THEN DISSIPATED OVER SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO ON THE
22ND. THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHANTAL WHILE IT WAS
A TROPICAL CYCLONE...ALTHOUGH TWO DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN TRINIDAD
FROM LIGHTNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE TROPICAL WAVE
THROUGH THE LESSER ANTILLES. DAMAGE IN BELIZE IS ESTIMATED AT
$10-15 MILLION. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN
MEXICO.
DEAN FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS ON 22
AUGUST...AND A HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATED THAT ITS WINDS WERE
NEAR HURRICANE FORCE LATER THAT DAY. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM SOON
ENCOUNTERED AN UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT AND IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL
WAVE JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO THE NEXT DAY. DEANS REMNANTS MOVED
MOSTLY NORTHWARD FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AND INTERACTED WITH A
LARGE NON-TROPICAL TROUGH OFF THE U.S. EAST COAST. ON THE 26TH...
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BEGAN TO ORGANIZE NEAR THE REMNANT LOW
PRESSURE INDICATING THAT IT WAS AGAIN ACQUIRING TROPICAL CYCLONE
CHARACTERISTICS. DEAN RE-ATTAINED TROPICAL STORM STATUS LATE ON THE
26TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
AFTER STRENGTHENING TO JUST BELOW HURRICANE FORCE...DEAN CONTINUED
NORTHEASTWARD AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL THE FOLLOWING DAY. WINDS TO
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE REPORTED IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND
THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED $2 MILLION IN DAMAGE DUE TO FLOODING IN
PUERTO RICO.
ERIN FORMED ON 1 SEPTEMBER...OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC FROM
A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA ON 30
AUGUST. THE SYSTEM SOON BECAME A TROPICAL STORM...ABOUT 660 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS...ERIN MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. IT STRENGTHENED TO 60 MPH ON
THE 3RD...BUT SOON SUCCUMBED TO WESTERLY SHEAR. THE WEAKENING
CYCLONE MOVED TO ABOUT 400 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD
ISLANDS ON THE 5TH...WHERE IT DEGENERATED INTO AN AREA OF DISTURBED
WEATHER. HOWEVER...A NEW CENTER DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING DAY ABOUT
475 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS...WITHIN
THE SAME AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ERIN.
THE RE-BORN TROPICAL CYCLONE STRENGTHENED BACK INTO A TROPICAL STORM
ABOUT 635 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
WHILE MOVING NORTH-NORTHWEST...ERIN BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 8TH.
THE SYSTEM PASSED ABOUT 105 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA ON THE 9TH. A
LITTLE LATER THAT SAME DAY...IT STRENGTHENED TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY
OF 120 MPH...MAKING ERIN THE FIRST MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON.
ERIN ACCELERATED NORTHEASTWARD...AND PASSED VERY NEAR CAPE RACE
NEWFOUNDLAND ON THE 14TH...WHILE WEAKENING TO JUST BELOW HURRICANE
STRENGTH. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ERIN
AFFECTED SOUTHEASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY
RAINS...AND PRODUCED TROPICAL-STORM FORCE GUSTS ON BERMUDA. NO
DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED.
FELIX DEVELOPED ON 7 SEPTEMBER SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
AND MOVED WESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS. LATE ON THE 8TH...THE
DEPRESSION ENCOUNTERED STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND WEAKENED BACK
TO A TROPICAL WAVE. AS THE WAVE CONTINUED WESTWARD...THE SHEAR
RELAXED ENOUGH TO ALLOW A NEW CENTER TO RE-DEVELOP EARLY ON THE 10TH
ABOUT 1000 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE DEPRESSION
TRACKED STEADILY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND
STRENGTHENED INTO TROPICAL STORM FELIX ON THE 11TH. DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS...FELIX TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH. LATE
ON THE 12TH...IT INTENSIFIED INTO THE SECOND HURRICANE OF THE
SEASON. WHILE CURVING TO THE NORTHEAST LATE ON THE 13TH...FELIX
STRENGTHENED INTO THE SECOND MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON ABOUT
1400 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. A PEAK INTENSITY OF 115 MPH WAS
MAINTAINED UNTIL EARLY ON THE 14TH...AFTER WHICH SLOW WEAKENING
OCCURRED. FELIX GRADUALLY TURNED EASTWARD ON THE 15TH AND CONTINUED
THIS MOTION UNTIL IT WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE
17TH...WHEN IT STALLED ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES.
INCREASING SHEAR AND COOLER WATERS CAUSED FELIX TO WEAKEN AS IT
DRIFTED SLOWLY SOUTHWARD. IT WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE
18TH AND DISSIPATED LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE
AZORES ISLANDS.
GABRIELLE FORMED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON THE 11TH.
AFTER LOOPING SLOWLY FOR A FEW DAYS...IT MOVED INLAND ACROSS THE
WEST COAST OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ON THE 14TH AS A 70-MPH TROPICAL
STORM. OVER 10 INCHES OF RAIN CAUSED MAJOR RIVER FLOODING IN
WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA AND AT THE LOWER ST. JOHNS RIVER AND THERE WAS
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG THE CENTRAL FLORIDA WEST COAST OF
UP TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WAS WIND DAMAGE TO ROOFS...MOBILE
HOMES...AND TREES. GABRIELLE THEN MOVED NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN AND STRENGTHENED TO AN 80-MPH HURRICANE
ON THE 17TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 250 MILES NORTH OF BERMUDA. IT
BECAME AN EXTRATROPICAL STORM ON THE 19TH AND CAUSED UP TO 6 INCHES
OF RAIN ON THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND. ONE DROWNING DEATH
AT THE ALABAMA COASTLINE IS ATTRIBUTED TO GABRIELLE.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION NINE FORMED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA
ON 19 SEPTEMBER. IT MOVED INLAND OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY AND DISSIPATED OVER LAND EARLY THE NEXT DAY. THE
TROPICAL WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPRESSION CONTINUED WESTWARD INTO
THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HURRICANE
JULIETTE.
HUMBERTO FORMED ON 21 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 490 MILES SOUTH OF BERMUDA
FROM A TROUGH TRAILING FROM GABRIELLE. IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD FOR
ABOUT A DAY...STRENGTHENING INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 22ND. ON
THE 23D HUMBERTO GRADUALLY TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH...AND
STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. LATER THAT DAY IT PASSED ABOUT 140
MILE WEST OF BERMUDA. WINDS SOON INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH.
HUMBERTO TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND WEAKENED...BUT STILL
MAINTAINED HURRICANE STRENGTH FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THEN...THE
CYCLONE RE-INTENSIFIED OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC...REACHING A PEAK
NEAR 105 MPH ON THE 26TH WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 200 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SABLE ISLAND NOVA SCOTIA. THE HURRICANE TURNED
EASTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT
LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE 27TH AND THE REMNANT
CIRCULATION WAS EVENTUALLY ABSORBED BY A LARGE EXTRATROPICAL LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE FAR NORTH ATLANTIC.
IRIS WAS A SMALL BUT SEVERE CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE THAT DEVASTATED SOUTHERN BELIZE.
IRIS...WHICH FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECAME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION NEAR THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 4 OCTOBER AND MOVED WESTWARD
ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 6TH AND
REACHED HURRICANE STATUS ON THE 7TH JUST SOUTH OF THE BARAHONA
PENINSULA OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. IRIS PASSED VERY CLOSE TO THE
SOUTHERN COAST OF JAMAICA AND CONTINUED WESTWARD TOWARD CENTRAL
AMERICA. IT THEN INTENSIFIED...REACHING ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 145
MPH...WITH A PRESSURE OF 948 MB...JUST BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL IN THE
VICINITY OF MONKEY RIVER TOWN IN SOUTHERN BELIZE DURING THE EVENING
OF THE 8TH. BECAUSE THE CORE OF IRIS WAS SMALL...THE SEVERE DAMAGE
WAS CONCENTRATED WITHIN A 60 MILE WIDE AREA OF SOUTHERN BELIZE.
IRIS CAUSED AT LEAST 31 DEATHS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL
AMERICA...MOST OF WHICH OCCURRED WHEN THE BOAT M/V WAVE DANCER
CAPSIZED NEAR BELIZE.
JERRY DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 6
OCTOBER ABOUT 620 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BARBADOS...AND REACHED
TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATE THAT DAY ABOUT 400 MILES EAST-
SOUTHEAST OF BARBADOS. JERRY MOVED THROUGH THE WINDWARD ISLANDS
WITH 50 MPH WINDS ON THE 7TH AND 8TH...WITH THE CENTER PASSING CLOSE
TO ST. VINCENT. JERRY THEN BECAME VERY DISORGANIZED IN THE EASTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA AND DISSIPATED LATE ON THE 8TH. SUSTAINED WINDS OF
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE REPORTED AT MARTINIQUE.
KAREN ORIGINATED FROM A COLD FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT STALLED A COUPLE
HUNDRED MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA ON 10 OCTOBER. THE SYSTEM
DEVELOPED INTO A EXTRATROPICAL AND THEN SUBTROPICAL STORM
THAT TRACKED NORTHWESTWARD NEAR BERMUDA EARLY ON THE 12TH...
PRODUCING SUSTAINED WINDS OF 67 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90 MPH. THERE
WERE UNOFFICIAL REPORTS OF SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 75 MPH. THE WINDS
CAUSED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE ON BERMUDA AND LEFT MORE THAN
23,000 PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. EARLY ON THE 13TH...THE SYSTEM BECAME
TROPICAL STORM KAREN...WHICH STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE LATER
THAT DAY. KAREN MOVED NORTHWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS AND REACHED 80
MPH WIND SPEED EARLY ON THE 14TH ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTH OF HALIFAX
NOVA SCOTIA. IT MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST OF NOVA
SCOTIA ON THE 15TH...AS A 45 MPH TROPICAL STORM. KAREN BECAME
EXTRATROPICAL AS IT TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD WESTERN
NEWFOUNDLAND...WHERE IT MERGED WITH A LARGE MID-LATITUDE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM. HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER MUCH
OF DROUGHT-STRICKEN NOVA SCOTIA AND WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND. UP TO 6
INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS NEAR CAPE RACE
NEWFOUNDLAND...AND WIDESPREAD FLOODING...THE WORST IN 100
YEARS...OCCURRED IN ST. JOHNS NEWFOUNDLAND.
LORENZO FORMED FROM A NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE
EASTERN ATLANTIC THAT GRADUALLY ACQUIRED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
THE LOW BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 27 OCTOBER ABOUT 900 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ISLANDS AND MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD. LATE ON
THE 29TH IT REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ABOUT 1250 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. LORENZO TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND
THEN TO THE NORTH ON THE 30TH WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH.
ACCELERATING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST EARLY ON THE 31ST...
LORENZO LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT ABOUT 800 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES.
MICHELLE STARTED AS A BROAD LOW PRESSURE AREA IN THE SOUTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA. IT DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 29
OCTOBER ALONG THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA. THE DEPRESSION REMAINED
NEARLY STATIONARY OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA FOR TWO DAYS...
PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS WITH FLOODING OVER PORTIONS OF
NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS. LATE ON THE 31ST...THE DEPRESSION MOVED
INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA JUST NORTH OF THE HONDURAS-
NICARAGUA BORDER AND STRENGTHENED INTO TROPICAL STORM MICHELLE.
MICHELLE MOVED SLOWLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AS
IT STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. THE HURRICANE TURNED SLOWLY
NORTHWARD ON THE 3RD...THEN TURNED NORTHEASTWARD ON THE 4TH AS IT
REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 140 MPH. LATER THAT DAY...MICHELLE
CROSSED THE COASTAL ISLANDS OF CUBA AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AND
THE COAST OF THE MAIN ISLAND OF CUBA AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. A
WEAKENING MICHELLE CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE BAHAMAS ON
THE 5TH...AND THE STORM BECAME EXTRATROPICAL OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN
ATLANTIC ON THE 6TH.
MICHELLE LEFT A TRAIL OF DAMAGE AND DEATH FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
TO THE BAHAMAS. SO FAR...17 DEATHS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
HURRICANE...INCLUDING 6 IN HONDURAS...5 IN CUBA...4 IN
NICARAGUA...AND 2 IN JAMAICA. MICHELLE WAS THE STRONGEST
HURRICANE TO HIT CUBA SINCE 1952 AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE
OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN CUBA. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED
IN THE BAHAMAS. WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINS OVER CENTRAL AMERICA
AND THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN CAUSED EXTENSIVE FLOODING AND
MUD SLIDES IN NICARAGUA...HONDURAS...AND JAMAICA. MINOR
DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND SOUTH FLORIDA.
NOEL DEVELOPED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW THAT BECAME A SUBTROPICAL
STORM ON 4 NOVEMBER ABOUT 890 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND.
THE NORTHWARD-MOVING CYCLONE ACQUIRED MORE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS
AND STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE ON THE 5TH ABOUT 615 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE. NOEL SOON WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL
STORM...AND...WHILE ACCELERATING NORTHWARD...LOST ITS TROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS ON THE 6TH ABOUT 330 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE.
IT WAS ABSORBED BY ANOTHER EXTRATROPICAL LOW SOON THEREAFTER.
OLGA FORMED FROM ANOTHER NON-TROPICAL LOW THAT BECAME A SUBTROPICAL
STORM ABOUT 900 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA ON 24 NOVEMBER.
THE STORM MOVED NORTHWEST TO WESTWARD FOR A DAY OR SO. ON THE
26TH...THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM AND THEN A HURRICANE
ABOUT 500 MILES EAST OF BERMDA. OLGA SLOWED...MEANDERED...AND
EXECUTED A COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP ON THE 27TH...AFTER WHICH IT
STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY NEAR 90 MPH. OLGA MADE ANOTHER
COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP ON THE 28TH...AND THEN WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL
STORM WHILE MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD ON THE 29TH. THE SYSTEM WEAKENED
TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 30TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES
EAST OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...STILL MAINTAINING TROPICAL CYCLONE
STATUS AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON.
SUMMARY TABLE...
NAME DATES WIND-MPH PRES.- MB DEATHS US DAMAGE ($MIL)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ALLISON 5 - 17 JUN 60 1000 41* 5000+
T.D. TWO 11 - 12 JUL 30 1010 0 0
BARRY 2 - 7 AUG 70 990 0 30
CHANTAL 14 - 22 AUG 70 997 0 0
DEAN 22 - 28 AUG 70 994 0 2
ERIN 1 - 15 SEP 120 968 0 0
FELIX 6 - 18 SEP 115 965 0 0
GABRIELLE 11 - 19 SEP 80 975 1 230
T.D. NINE 19 - 20 SEP 35 1005 0 0
HUMBERTO 21 - 27 SEP 105 970 0 0
IRIS 4 - 9 OCT 145 948 31 0
JERRY 6 - 8 OCT 50 1005 0 0
KAREN 12 - 15 OCT 80 982 0 0
LORENZO 27 - 31 OCT 40 1007 0 0
MICHELLE 29 OCT-5 NOV 120 933 17 0.1
NOEL 4 - 6 NOV 75 986 0 0
OLGA 24 NOV-? 90 973 ? 0
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*THERE WERE AN ADDITIONAL 9 FATALITIES INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH
ALLISON.
AVILA/BEVEN/FRANKLIN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART
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